Corralling Floating Water Plants

[Casbah]

I stumbled across some free water lettuce and hyacinth today.

Clever/cheap ways to corral them?

 

[poconojoe]

Ive done this a couple of ways...
A string or fishing line tied across the pond just at or slightly below the water surface. The plant roots cannot pass over the string (or fishing line).
Or, you can buy or make floating mesh "bags". The mesh stays afloat with a rim made of tubular shaped black styrofoam.

 

[Casbah]

Something as thin as fishing line? Outstanding. Problem solved.

 

[poconojoe]

Something as thin as fishing line? Outstanding. Problem solved.

Yep, their hanging roots stop when they hit the string. Problem solved...
When I had a skimmer years ago, I used a string to keep the floating plants on one side of the pond. It prevented them from floating over and getting sucked into and clogging the skimmer.

 

[Ronfire]

I made a ring with clear 3/8 tubing and joined them with a smaller tube section jammed inside. The tight fit holds out the water so far and the ring can be tied to a rock. I did the same for a feeding ring.

 

[Casbah]

I made a ring with clear 3/8 tubing and joined them with a smaller tube section jammed inside. The tight fit holds out the water so far and the ring can be tied to a rock. I did the same for a feeding ring.

The idea I had before posting was old garden hose plugged in a fashion. My idea wasn't a hoop though. Thanks!

 

[Ronfire]

I was first going to use pex with 4 corners then I saw the clear plastic tubing $.49 a foot. 3 feet worked for me to build a feeding ring then I did the same with some airline laying around and worked well for the plants.

 

[poconojoe]

If you make a floating ring, use some mesh material, nylon screening or laundry mesh bag material to line the inside. This way your koi dont eat the plant roots. Hang a heavy fishing sinker off the bottom to keep it stretched down.
I do this in the spring to give the water lettuce and water hyacinths a chance to reproduce. If I don't, the fish will kill them off by eating all their roots. Once the plants multiply, I start letting them loose.

 

[mrsclem]

Hula-hoop!

 

[Lisak1]

I always like to issue the warning - watch your fish around these floating islands. We had a koi who liked to jump up in our island going after food that went astray. We watched him do it a few times and he could alway shimmy out but we were worried he would eventually get himself in a jam. So that was the end of the floating island! (I'm pretty sure that fish would have walked himself up and out of the pond if he thought there was a pellet of food that he could get - total chow hound!)

 

[poconojoe]

Hula-hoop!

Ha!

 

[j.w]

I have goldfish and when I had rings w/fiberglass screen door material attached to the ring certain goldfish always jumped into the ring and then I had to fish them out. Freshly hatched goldfish are so tiny also that they can get into the screen and thrive in there.

 

[zeuspaul]

I made a ring with clear 3/8 tubing and joined them with a smaller tube section jammed inside. The tight fit holds out the water so far and the ring can be tied to a rock. I did the same for a feeding ring.

I make my floating hoops out of 1/2 inch swing pipe available in the irrigation section of HD and the like. I use a pair of hoops at the outer edges of my round container frog ponds to help prevent lizard drownings. I often see tiny frogs using them to rest on. The swing pipe has a little texture to help with a foot hold. I cut a short (about an inch) piece of 1/2 inch stainless pipe/tubing to act as a connector. I tried garden hose and a few other materials but this has held up the best over time.

 

[Casbah]

Thanks all for the suggestions!

I ended up using all "recycled" materials that the former owner and I had lying around.... Lengths of old garden hose joined with pieces of copper tubing, nylon window screen from an old porch door, and my trusty glue gun. They're a little small as I had limited screening to work with, but I assume the plants will eventually mat together and spread beyond their confines.

Success!

 

[j.w]

Thanks all for the suggestions!

I ended up using all "recycled" materials that the former owner and I had lying around.... Lengths of old garden hose joined with pieces of copper tubing, nylon window screen from an old porch door, and my trusty glue gun. They're a little small as I had limited screening to work with, but I assume the plants will eventually mat together and spread beyond their confines.

Success!

View attachment 123205

Similar to what I made w/fiberglass screen door material from Lowes.